1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of benchmarking standardized data element values of agricultural operations, and more particularly to a method that enables users to upload an agricultural operation""s standardized data element values to a central database through an internet accessible user interface and to obtain benchmarking reports comparing one or more agricultural operation""s standardized data element values against the standardized data element values of other agricultural operations uploaded to the central database.
2. Description of the Related Art
Computer software programs used by producers for managing various types of agricultural operations are well known in the art. These computer software management programs allow producers to input production data and/or financial data into the programs and then the programs use this data input to perform various calculations for generating production data reports and financial data reports that are used by the producer for tracking and managing the efficiency and profitability of his agricultural operation. For example, a number of commercially available management programs including Herdsman(copyright), PigWin(copyright), PigChamp(copyright), PigTails(trademark), Porks/PC Pro(trademark), and Smart Breeder(trademark) are used by pork producers for managing their pork production operations. While much of the production data element (PDE) values, financial data element (FDE) values, or other data element values generated by these management programs are similar, none of these programs utilize the exact same methods for calculating all the data element values that pork producers desire to manage their pork operations. This same lack of standardization is prevalent in management programs developed for producers of other agricultural commodities. Due to this lack of standardization, even if the exact same input is entered into these various commercially available management programs, the reported data element values may vary.
For example, due to the lack of standardization in terminology and calculation methods among the various commercially available pork management programs, if a pork producer desires to know, for example, the average number of pigs weaned per sow on his operation, the producer may get different results using different pork management programs. Therefore, if a pork producer desires to know how his operation""s average number of pigs weaned per sow compares to that of other producers, the producer would not be able to get an accurate comparison of this PDE value unless all of the other producers were using the same management program.
It is important, not only for pork producers, but producers for all the various agricultural commodities, to know how the data element values of their operation compare to that of other producer operations for purposes of determining the efficiency and profitability of their operations. If a particular producer""s PDE values or FDE values fall below the data element values of other producers, he can reevaluate his management practices and the equipment and facilities used in his operation based on the attributes of more productive, efficient and profitable producer operations. However, if the PDE or FDE values of one producer operation are different simply because each producer is using a different management program, it is virtually impossible for producers to get an accurate benchmarking comparison of the efficiency and profitability of their operation against the operations of other producers.
Thus, while each of the various commercially available management programs may serve their intended purpose, there is a need in the various agricultural commodity industries for standardized methods for calculating the data element values particular to an agricultural commodity to enable producers to make accurate benchmarking comparisons between their operations.
Overcoming the lack of standardization in the various agricultural commodity management programs, however, provides only half of the solution for allowing producers to benchmark their operation""s data element values against the data element values of other producer operations. In other words, even if each of the commercially available management programs all used the same data element terminology, calculation methods and output formats, producers would still not be able to benchmark their data element values against those of other producer operations for comparison purposes without a central database into which the data element values can be uploaded and from which the producers can then select various attributes for benchmarking their operation against those of other producer operations having similar attributes.
Thus, there is also a need in the agricultural industry to allow producers to regularly upload their operation""s data element values into a central database and to also allow producers or other authorized third parties to access this central database and select the attributes for generating regular benchmarking reports to facilitate comparisons of the data element values of one or more producer operations to those of other producer operations with similar attributes. Only with the use of a central database from which regular benchmarking reports can be generated will producers have access to the type of comparison information they need to achieve the ultimate goal of improving the profitability of their operation and thus the improvement and profitability of the various agricultural commodity industries as a whole.
Generally, the present invention is a method for producers and other authorized third parties to upload an agricultural operation""s standardized data element values into a central database via the Internet through a user interface and allows the producers and authorized third party users to benchmark the standardized data element values of one or more agricultural operations against the standardized data element values of other producer operations selectively retrieved from the central database by a benchmarking query defined by selectable attributes.
More specifically, the method comprises providing a central database and an Internet accessible user interface for uploading an agricultural operation""s standardized data element values to the central database. Providing selectable attributes in the user interface to enable a user to define a benchmarking query to selectively retrieve the desired uploaded data element values of other producer operations from the central database, and then displaying the selectively retrieved standardized data element values in relation to the standardized data element values of one or more producer operations selected by the user.
To the accomplishment of the above objects, features and advantages, this invention may be embodied in the form illustrated in the accompanying drawings, attention being called to the fact, however, that the drawings are illustrative only, and the changes may be made in the specific form illustrated and described within the scope of the appended claims.